FIG. 3A is a side view of a conventional output-terminal device for an a.c. generator for a vehicle, which is viewed from the rear side of the generator. The a.c. generator is of a rotary magnetic pole type wherein a stator (not shown) is attached with a front bracket 1 and a rear bracket 2. In FIG. 3A, reference numeral 20 designates an output-terminal device provided at an outer end of the rear bracket 2 and the output terminal bolt 21 projects in a lateral direction.
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the output-terminal device 20, connected to a rectifier device, taken along a line B3--B3 in FIG. 3A. In FIG. 3B, reference numerals 12 and 13 designate an output side (positive pole) heat sink and the other side (negative pole) heat sink of the rectifier device. In FIG. 3B, only connecting portions of the heat sinks are shown. Numeral 16 designates a connecting bolt of the output side which is passed through a wiring board 15 and is forcibly fitted to the connecting portion of the heat sink 12 to have an electric connection. The connecting bolt 16 is passed through an insulation tube 14 and is projected in the axial direction to the rear end of the rear bracket 2. The output-terminal device 20 comprises an insulation terminal socket 22 made of a resinous material and the before-mentioned output-terminal bolt 21 connected to the connecting bolt 16 by means of a nut 17 which is embedded in the socket 22. The rear end of the terminal bolt 21 is formed to have a flat portion 21a. The terminal bolt 21 has a flange portion 21c at an intermediate portion and a threaded portion 21b at its front end which is used for connecting a terminal. The terminal socket 22 has a cylindrical flange portion 22a which projects from its one end where a cut portion 22b is formed. Numeral 24 designates an insulating cap which is fitted to the insulation terminal socket 22 to surround the nut 17. FIG. 3C is a plane view of the output-terminal device 20 shown in FIG. 3A.
FIGS. 3D and 3E are respectively a plane view and a side view partly broken which show the output-terminal bolt 21 to which an external wire is connected. A crimp-style terminal 36 is connected to an external wire 35 by crimping. The crimp-style terminal 36 is fitted to the output-terminal bolt 21 and is fastened to it by means of a nut 37. The terminal 36 is inserted in the cut portion 22b so as to prevent it from turning.
A three-phase a.c. voltage generated in the a.c. generator is rectified into a d.c. voltage by means of the rectifier device and the generated d.c. voltage is outputted.
In the conventional output-terminal device described above, the direction of extending the external wire 35 is different depending on the types of vehicle. Accordingly, the position of the cut portion 22b had to be determined in the insulation terminal socket 22 in correspondence to the direction of extending the external wire 35. There was, therefore, a problem that many kinds of output-terminal devices had to be prepared.